Catherine Valiquette sentenced to 4 years in prison for sexually assaulting a student

Content warning: This story contains graphic details that some may find disturbing.

A former Alberta teacher has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting a student.

The verdict was handed down in a packed courtroom in Stony Plain on Friday.

Catherine Valiquette pleaded guilty to sexual interference in December last year.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Valiquette was working as a 9th grade teacher at Graminia School in Parkland County when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student in April 2023.

Valiquette added the student, who was in science class, to the social media app Snapchat, and the two began chatting for hours every day.

Court documents established that the nature of the conversations became increasingly sexual and eventually led to a physical relationship outside of school.

The victim’s siblings eventually found out about the relationship and notified their parents, who confiscated his phone.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the boy and Valiquette, who was 29 at the time, began talking in a Google document and developed codes among themselves, such as using “143,” which meant “I love you.”

As the relationship progressed, the boy rode his bicycle to meet Valiquette, who drove them in her car to a rural area where the couple engaged in sexual activity, including intercourse, the chief judge said.

According to the documents, a condom was not always used and the couple often used baby wipes for cleaning, disposing of them at the scene.

Some of the napkins were eventually recovered from the scene by police, according to court documents.

Valiquette and the victim stopped communicating in June 2023, and the boy told his parents about the relationship that same month.

His parents reported the abuse to the RCMP and the school.

During the investigation, police found Valiquette’s sweater that belonged to the victim.

She initially told police she was involved with the boy, but did not have sexual intercourse with him.

Sentencing decision

During Friday’s sentencing hearing, the mother of four addressed the court in person and apologized for her actions.

“What I did went against everything I stand for,” she told the court, adding that in her teaching career she had always tried to provide a safe and supportive space for students.

“I take responsibility for my actions and, once again, I am truly sorry.”

She has not worked as a teacher since she was charged in August 2023.

The defense asked for a suspended sentence of two years minus one day followed by probation, while the Crown argued for a five-year prison sentence.

Judge Kimberly Palichuk concluded that less than two years was not an appropriate sentence, but took into account Valiquette’s early guilty plea as well as her demonstrated remorse.

In addition to the four-year prison sentence, Valiquette is subject to a DNA order and a weapons ban.